Tread-piece or sole.



PATENTED SEPTKZQ, 1903.

A.H.IPRATT. .TREADPIBGEORSOLE. APPLICATION PILED'J'UHE 11, i902.

N0 MODEL.

\X/I NEEEE THE new: prrzns co. mom-mun, msiqmamm a. s2

Patented September 29, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ASHTON H. PRATT, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TREAD-PIECE 0R SOLE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part Application filed June 11, 1902.

small pieces of sole-leather while still providing a solid structure.

To these ends the invention consists in the constructions substantiallyas.hereiuafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, in which theinvention is shown as embodiedin a shoesole, Figure 1 represents an inverted plan view of a shoe-solewithout a heel. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 represents an edge view of the sole. Fig. i is a detail perspectiveview of another embodiment of my invention.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all thefigures.

Referring first to Figs. 1,2, and 3, a series of strips of leather areindicated at a, said strips extending from edge to edge of the sole andbeing out from pieces of leather and secured together, so that theiredges form the exposed bottom or tread-face of the sole. "While saidstrips are shown as integral from end to end, it is to be understoodthat in some instances they may be made of two or more pieces placed endto end and so connected and secured, as hereinafter described, as toconstitute practically continuous strips. In said Figs. 1, 2, and 3 abacking-piece is shown, which backing-piece is preferably of leather,but may in some instances be of other suitable material. End pieces orclampin g-blocks e are shown as secured to the backing-piece b, and thestrips a a are secured and clamped between said blocks, a wire or threadf being preferably employed, as hereinafter described.

A preferable way of manufacturing the sole is as follows: The stripsa aare first fastened together by 'bein g threaded or run upon the wire orthread f. Then one end piece 2 is secured to the back piece 1?, and theloop of wire of Letters Patent No. 746,311, dated $eptemioer 29, 1903.

Serial No. 111K186. (No model.)

or thread at one end of the series of strips is passed between the twolayers of which said end piece is preferably composed, the said wirebeing then drawn until it engages around the tacks or nails g, whichsecure the blocks 9 togethcr'and to the backing-piece b. The strips (1-are suitably glued or cemented together and, preferablyunder extremelyheavy pressure, are pressed firmly up against the attached block 6, andwhile the pressure is continued against said strips the other e isapplied to the backing-piece and the threadsor wires are carried aroundthe nails which secure the latter in place, the ends of wise fastened.

I As shown at h, nails maybe driven through each individual strip a toadditionally secure it to the backing-piece.

I The toe and heel end pieces or clampingblocks e are preferably made oftwo layers or lifts of leather, as indicated in the drawings. These toeand heel blocks not only afiord means for holding the strips a, inclamped position, but they also aiford a more durable construction atthe ends of the soleand are less liable to become the case if the stripsawere continuedto the ends of the sole, particularly the" toe end. Saidtoe and heel blocks are of widearea relatively to the thickness of thestrips a, and they are therefore not only well adapted to serve asabutments capable of permanently holding the strips clamped betweenthem, as above described, but they may be trimmed ofi in the finishingoperations on the shoesole without encroaching on the strips or causingany weakening of the wires on which the strips are strong. Moreover,said blocks are not liable to be deflected or spread away from thestrips 0, in use, as would be the case if the extreme toe and heelportions were also strips similar to those which form the treadsurfaceunder the ball of the foot. Owing to the fact that the toe and heelblocks are relatively wide, they are necessarily so placed relatively tothe strips that the grain-surface is at a right angle to that of thestrips. This is because, as above stated, the strips a care cut frompieces of leather and secured so that their edges form tread-surfaces ofthe sole.

i This construction of the end blocks provides the threadsor wires beingtwisted or otherblock displaced than would be ness of the sole,

for holding the strips without liability of the end strips beingseparated from each other by wear, as would be the case if the endpieces were the same as the strips.

In some cases the nails h may be omitted and the wires f alone reliedupon in addition to the cement 'or glue, such construction beingindicated in Fig. 4. As shownin said figure, the backing-piece b may beomitted, particularly when a heel is to made of the strips and blocks.This structure represented in Fig. 4 may be employed for the sole ofsewed shoes, as the sewing-thread will engage each separate strip whenthe sole is fastened to the shoe. For pegged or riveted shoes the stripsshould be previously attached to a middle sole, as the backing-piece 1)represented in Fig. 2.

Among the advantages of this invention the following may be mentioned:Itprovides a continuous wearing-surface of the full thickand saidthickness may be limited only by the dimensions of the pieces which areout out to form the strips a. The thickness of the ordinary sole islimited by the thickness of the hide from which it is cut, Whereas thisstructure provides for making a sole of any desired thickness accordingto the Width of the strips a when first cut and before they are placedface to face or back to back, so as to present their edges to form thebottom or tread-face of the sole. Furthermore, the sole can be producedeconomically,

as the strips a may be formed from scraps of hide, the principalportions of which are being otherwise used, and the sole is flexible andavoids creaking.

I claim I l A tread-piece for shoes having itswearing-surface composedof a plurality of strips of leather secured together with their edgesexposed to form the bottom or tread-face, and arelatively wide blockagainst which the said strips are clamped, said block being of leatherand having its grain-surface at a right angle to that of the strips.

2. A sole comprising a relatively thin soleshaped piece of materialconstitutinga backing, leather toe and heel blocks at the ends of saidbacking, and a plurality of continuous or unbroken strips of leatherextending across the width of the sole and presenting their edges to thesaid backing and to the treadface of the sole, the said backing, blocksand strips being secured together with the strips clamped between saidblocks, said blocks being relatively wide to permit trimming at theextreme toe and heel without impairing the fastenings, the grain-surfaceof the blocks being at a right angle to that of the strips.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

' ASHTON H. PRATT.

Witnesses:

HENRIETTA T. PRATT, E. O. CRONKRITE.

